Interest Rates Are Great !! By: Maureen Megowan (Remax Palos Verdes Realty - DRE #01368971)

Interest rates are at record lows !!!!
Here are some loan programs currently being offered by Ron Goodli of Coast Capital Group at 310-798-5514:
Ratesavailableat a 1pt origination feeplusstandard closing costs. Rates based on fico score ">740", impound account, loan to value "<60%" and lock period "30 days"...
Loan amounts from

Norma Toering's Rolling Hills Home Sales Report October 2009 Rolling Hills CA 90274 - REMAX Palos Verdes By: Norma Toering Rolling Hills & Palos Verdes Property (REMAX Palos Verdes Realty Lic# 01147470)

Rolling Hills neighborhood home sales and real estate report for October 2009 in the city of Rolling Hills, California.
Active listings: 24 Homes are currently for sale in Rolling Hills priced from $1,289,000 to $14,900,000.
Pending sales: 6 Properties are currently in escrow priced from $1,395,000 to $2,995,000.
October sales: One

Rolling Hills CA High-end Home Sales on the Palos Verdes Peninsula By: Norma Toering Rolling Hills & Palos Verdes Property (REMAX Palos Verdes Realty Lic# 01147470)

A remodeled home in Rolling Hills hit the market a few days ago and the list price is under $1.3M.  I saw the property when it was listed at a higher price.  It's not perfect, but hey, it is Rolling Hills, the gated city at the top of the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

The Most Amazing Thing Happened Today While Previewing Palos Verdes Real Estate By: Norma Toering Rolling Hills & Palos Verdes Property (REMAX Palos Verdes Realty Lic# 01147470)

I was running late this morning---the cell phone was sounding the piano ring-tone every few minutes and as I responded to calls my hair air dried (think frizz) and my oatmeal grew cold (think glue).  The news was a mixture of good and bad:  The promised offer is not coming.  The short sale offer

Are you frustrated with the time spent online looking for homes? Don't know which site to choose? By: Rachel Tyndall (TOP TEN TEAM AT RE/MAX PALOS VERDES REALTY)

Today there are millions of real estate sites for the consumer to access listings. Leaving the consumer to question which ones are accurate? Now with listing book a new program through the MLS Realtors can offer their clients a customized search through the MLS allowing them real time information with the

Rolling Hills 3rd Quarter 2009 Real Estate Market Report By: Maureen Megowan (Remax Palos Verdes Realty - DRE #01368971)

Rolling Hills( area 166 in map below )had the following real estate market activity for single family residences during the3rd Quarter of 2009:
Properties Sold: 6
AddressPriceBd Bth Sqft $/Sq BuiltML#Sold Date Days on Mkt

24 Caballeros Rd $1,380,000 3 2.00 2,269 $608 1960 V09025391 8/21/09 156
68 Eastfield DR

Norma Toering's Rolling Hills Home Sales Report September 2009 Rolling Hills CA 90274 - REMAX Palos Verdes By: Norma Toering Rolling Hills & Palos Verdes Property (REMAX Palos Verdes Realty Lic# 01147470)

Rolling Hills neighborhood home sales report for September 2009.
Active listings: 22 Homes are currently for sale in Rolling Hills priced from $1,299,000 to $14,900,000.
Pending sales: 3 Houses are currently in escrow priced from $1,395,000 to $6,950,000.
September sales: 3 Properties sold in Rolling Hills during September 2009:
Eastfield Dr

What Supports Property Value in Your Neighborhood? By: Norma Toering Rolling Hills & Palos Verdes Property (REMAX Palos Verdes Realty Lic# 01147470)

Palos Verdes home pricesrange from$565,000 to $18,000,000. If you're curious to know what accounts for the price span it's location, size, condition and a few lesser nuances, but those are the Big Three determiners of value.

For instance the $565,000 property is under 1500 sq. ft., the lot is less

What Happens when Uncle Sam stops buying mortgages??? By: Maureen Megowan (Remax Palos Verdes Realty - DRE #01368971)

Currently, 85% of new mortgages are guaranteed by Government backedentities( FHA, FNMA, GNMA, Freddie Mac) and the Fed buys 80% of the securities into which these government backed mortgages are packaged. This dominance of the Fed and the reliance upon the Government to fund mortgages can not last forever. The Federal

Hot Deals in Palos Verdes, But Very Few Steals By: Norma Toering Rolling Hills & Palos Verdes Property (REMAX Palos Verdes Realty Lic# 01147470)

 Few days pass without a contact from a hopeful buyer wanting a single family home in Palos Verdes at a price that simply does not exist, even in a real estate market that has slipped from the lofty pinnacle of 2006 prices. 
 
So what does constitute a hot deal in

Norma Toering's Rolling Hills Home Sales Report August 2009 Rolling Hills CA 90274 - REMAX Palos Verdes By: Norma Toering Rolling Hills & Palos Verdes Property (REMAX Palos Verdes Realty Lic# 01147470)

Rolling Hills neighborhood real estate statistics for August 2009:
Active listings: 22 Homes are currently for sale in Rolling Hills priced from $1,299,000 to $18,900,000.
Pending sales: 7 Properties are in escrow in Rolling Hills priced from $1,395,000 to $3,495,000.
August sales: 1 Home sold in August 2009:
Caballeros Rd $1,380,000

Home Loan Financing Basics - Fifth in A Series By: Maureen Megowan (Remax Palos Verdes Realty - DRE #01368971)

Reverse Mortgages:For seniors, there is a relatively new mortgage available called a reverse mortgage. This type of mortgage is useful for people who have a large equity in their home, but who live on a fixed budget and find it difficult to live on their current income. Many seniors in this

Home Loan Financing Basics - Fourth in a Series By: Maureen Megowan (Remax Palos Verdes Realty - DRE #01368971)

Locking in an Interest Rate when Applying for a Home Loan:When applying for a loan, the borrower should obtain a "lock-in" of the quoted interest rate for a period adequate to close escrow. Lock durations can vary for mortgage financing, but most lenders lock in the interest rate for 60 days

Home Loan Financing Basics - Third in a Series By: Maureen Megowan (Remax Palos Verdes Realty - DRE #01368971)

Loan Terms:Interest only loans have become very popular due to the fact that the monthly payment requires only payment of interest, and does not require a principal amortization payment. Because of this, borrowers may be able to qualify for a larger loan, and therefore be able to purchase a more expensive

Home Loan Financing Basics - Second in a Series By: Maureen Megowan (Remax Palos Verdes Realty - DRE #01368971)

Qualifying for a Home Loan:Mortgage lenders are chiefly concerned with your ability to repay your mortgage. To determine if you qualify for a loan, they will consider your credit history, your monthly gross income and how much cash you'll be able to accumulate for a down payment, which generally runs anywhere

Los Angeles County Home Sales at 3 Year High By: Maureen Megowan (Remax Palos Verdes Realty - DRE #01368971)

Home Sales in Los Angeles County hit a 3 year high in July, as buyers are recognizing that now is a great time to buy with near historic low interest rates and sellers willing to make a great deal. Sales volume in Los Angeles County was up 23% in July over

Home Loan Financing Basics- First in a Series By: Maureen Megowan (Remax Palos Verdes Realty - DRE #01368971)

There are two basic types of home mortgages. With a fixed rate mortgage (FRM), your monthly payments will be steady. In contrast, with an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) , your payments will vary over time. Adjustable rate mortgages typically have an initial fixed rate lower than the rate of a comparable

Norma Toering's Rolling Hills Home Sales Report July 2009 Rolling Hills CA 90274 - REMAX Palos Verdes By: Norma Toering Rolling Hills & Palos Verdes Property (REMAX Palos Verdes Realty Lic# 01147470)

Rolling Hills real estate statistics for July 2009:
Active listings: 25 Homes are currently listed for sale in Rolling Hills priced from $1,375,000 to $18,900,000.
Pending sales: 4 Properties are currently in escrow priced from $1,499,000 to $2,645,000.
July sales: 2 Homes in Rolling Hills sold in July 2009:
Packsaddle Road

Rolling Hills 2nd Quarter 2009 Real Estate Market Report By: Maureen Megowan (Remax Palos Verdes Realty - DRE #01368971)

Rolling Hills( area 166 in map below )had the following real estate market activity during the2nd Quarter of 2009 after having no sales for the previous 6 months:
Properties Sold: 5
AddressPriceBd Bth Sqft $/Sq BuiltML#Sold Date Days on Mkt

36 Portuguese Bend RD$1,610,000 4 3.00 2,608 $617 1940 V09019719

Norma Toering's Rolling Hills Real Estate Report June 2009 Rolling Hills CA By: Norma Toering Rolling Hills & Palos Verdes Property (REMAX Palos Verdes Realty Lic# 01147470)

Rolling Hills is enjoying a burst of real estate activity during the summer of 2009. As a matter of fact, a prospective buyer asked where he could get the most value for his money in Palos Verdes. That's not an easy question to answer but after listening to what he wanted:

Norma Toering's Rolling Hills Real Estate Report May 2009 Rolling Hills CA By: Norma Toering Rolling Hills & Palos Verdes Property (REMAX Palos Verdes Realty Lic# 01147470)

If you're following my Rolling Hills Real Estate Reports you know sales have been very slow for the past year or so.  That may be changing.  May 2009 statistics show four properties in escrow and two closed sales. 
 
Rolling Hills real estate statistics for May 2009:
Active Listings:  23 Single

Interest Rates - No Where to Go But Up!!! By: Maureen Megowan (Remax Palos Verdes Realty - DRE #01368971)

For weeks, I have been writing blog entries recommending to people to buy a home while interest rates are at historical lows. I have also written several entries over the last several months asking the question "What Happens when the Fed Stops Buying Securities?" The Federal Reserve has been keeping long

In Search of a View By: Norma Toering Rolling Hills & Palos Verdes Property (REMAX Palos Verdes Realty Lic# 01147470)

Many people move to Palos Verdes CA for the schools, others come for the location, but I believe the strongest card the Palos Verdes Peninsula has to play is the VIEW CARD.  It is a fantastic little decision maker when it is time to buy a house.  Right now I have

Scarce Jumbo Loans still impacting Sales By: Maureen Megowan (Remax Palos Verdes Realty - DRE #01368971)

Jumbo loans, those loans over $729,750 in the Southern California area, are still relatively difficult to obtain, with only those buyers with extremely high credit scores and down payments of 30 to 40% able to qualify with many lenders. The real problem here is a lack of competition among the banks

Norma Toering's Eye for Value in Rolling Hills - REMAX Palos Verdes By: Norma Toering Rolling Hills & Palos Verdes Property (REMAX Palos Verdes Realty Lic# 01147470)

5 El Concho Lane in Rolling Hills, CA is my "Eye for Value" pick this week for the gated city of Rolling Hills on the Palos VerdesPeninsula.  There are currently 23 homes for sale in Rolling Hills and for a combination of location, condition and view 5 El Concho is my